Google buys cybersecurity startup VirusTotal

(Reuters) -
Google Inc has bought startup VirusTotal, picking up a fledgling but
widely used cybersecurity industry player in a move that could beef up
protection for its Internet services.

The acquisition of VirusTotal,
which aggregates warnings on submitted files and websites from most
antivirus solutions, including Intel Corp's McAfee and Symantec Corp,
could significantly shore up the search giant's ability to weed out
infectious content from Gmail, social network Google+ and even the pages
it shows search users.

VirusTotal
operates by accepting requests for virus checks, running every available
protection software on the questioned document or pages, then
distributing the results to security vendors.

Because
those results include the documents and websites submitted, the service
is considered a valuable source of information by the security industry
about emergent threats and potential targets.

"VirusTotal
will continue to operate independently, maintaining our partnerships
with other antivirus companies and security experts," the startup said
in a blogpost announcing the acquisition.

"We've
worked hard to ensure that the services we offer continually improve.
But as a small, resource-constrained company, that can sometimes be
challenging."

Google did not disclose the amount it paid, and did not respond to requests for comment.